Pin connectors and socket connectors are known types of communications connectors that may be used, for example, to detachably connect two communications cables and/or to connect a communications cable to a printed circuit board or an electronic device. Pin and socket connectors are used in a variety of applications such as, for example, in automobiles and in data centers.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a conventional pin connector 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the pin connector 10 includes a housing 20 that has a plug aperture 22. The plug aperture 22 may be sized and configured to receive a mating socket connector. The pin connector 10 further includes a conductive pin array 24 that includes eighteen conductive pins 30 that are mounted in the housing 20. Each conductive pin 30 has a first end 32 that extends into the plug aperture 22 and a second end 36 that extends downwardly from a bottom surface of the housing 20. The first end 32 of each conductive pin 30 may be received within a respective socket of a mating socket connector that is inserted into the plug aperture 22, and the second end 36 of each conductive pin 30 may be inserted into, for example, a printed circuit board (not shown).
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of conductive pins 30-1 through 30-8 that are included in the conductive pin array 24 of pin connector 10 of FIG. 1. Herein, when a device such as a connector includes multiple of the same components, these components are referred to individually by their full reference numerals (e.g., conductive pin 30-4) and are referred to collectively by the first part of their reference numeral (e.g., the conductive pins 30). Only eight of the eighteen conductive pins 30 that are included in pin connector 10 of FIG. 1 are illustrated in FIG. 2 in order to simplify the drawing and the explanation thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, a middle portion 34 of each conductive pin 30 that connects the first end 32 to the second end 36 includes a right angled section 38. The first ends 32 of the conductive pins 30 extend along the x-direction (see the reference axes in FIG. 2) and are aligned in two rows. The second ends 36 of the conductive pins 30 extend along the z-direction and are also aligned in two rows. It will be appreciated that the remaining ten conductive pins 30 of pin connector 10 that are not pictured in FIG. 2 are aligned in the same two rows and that the conductive pins 30 in each row all have the exact same design and spacing from adjacent conductive pins 30.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of a partially disassembled socket connector 50 that may be used in conjunction with the pin connector 10 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the socket connector 50 includes a housing 60 that includes a plurality of pin apertures 62. The housing 60 defines an open interior 64 that receives a socket contact holder 70. The housing 60 includes a side opening 66 that provides an access opening for inserting the socket contact holder 70 within the open interior 64. The side opening 66 also provides an access opening for the conductors of a communications cable (not shown) to be routed into the open interior 64 for termination within the socket contact holder 70. A locking member 68 is mounted on an exterior surface of the housing 60. The socket connector 50 may be received within the plug aperture 22 of the pin connector 10 so that each of the conductive pins 30 of the pin connector is received within a respective pin aperture 62 of housing 60. The locking member 68 may be used to lock the socket connector 50 within the plug aperture 22 of the pin connector 10.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view the socket contact holder 70. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a socket contact 80. As shown in FIG. 5, the socket contact holder 70 includes a plurality of sockets 76 that extend from a front face 74 to the rear face 72 of the socket contact holder 70. Each socket 76 is sized to receive a respective one of the socket contacts 80. Accordingly, a socket contact array 78 that includes a plurality of socket contacts 80 may be populated into the sockets 76 in socket contact holder 70. Each socket contact 80 includes a front end 82 and a rear end 84. The front end 82 is configured to receive and grasp a conductive pin of a mating pin connector (e.g., one of the conductive pins 30 of pin connector 10) that is received through a respective one of the pin apertures 62 in housing 60. The front end 82 may include a spring mechanism (not visible in FIG. 6) that biases a conductive component of the socket contact 80 against the conductive pin 30 of the mating pin connector 10 that is received therein in order to maintain a good mechanical and electrical contact between the conductive pin 30 and the socket contact 80. The rear end 84 of the socket contact 80 may be configured to receive a conductor of a communications cable (not shown) such as a copper wire by means of a crimped connection. Thus, each socket contact 80 may be used to electrically connect a conductive pin of a pin connector to a conductor of a communications cable.